Morning or Evening: What is the Best Time of the Day to Work Out?

We all probably know how important the correct functioning of our biological clock, or the so-called circadian rhythm, is. For example, not getting enough sleep or not adhering to the daily routine can seriously harm our health. But what about the place of workouts in this tough schedule? When is it better to go in for sports in order to get the best result and not harm the body?

Most often, trainers advise you to do sports in the morning, while the body is fresh, and the problems accumulated during the day are not spinning in your head. You can also hear that exercising during this time is especially beneficial for losing weight.

This makes sense, but not everything is so simple. In fact, both morning and evening workouts have their own benefits. Let’s try to go a bit deeper.

Morning exercises - pros and cons

Physical activity after waking up improves mood, disciplines, and forms a reserve of strength for the entire coming day. The warm-up in the morning stimulates blood circulation, accelerates metabolic processes, and sets up the brain for active work.

For instance, after jogging in the morning, many people feel a surge of energy, note that they have time to complete more tasks at work, and are generally more efficient during the whole day. Plus, morning fitness motivates you to make informed choices about the right foods and habits throughout the day.

The body, first of all, spends energy obtained from the carbohydrates eaten, and then, if they were not enough, starts burning the existing fat reserves. After a long break in meals at night, the level of glycogen (glucose stored by the body) is relatively low. Therefore, to exercise, the body will have to use fat reserves. And even a simple 20-minute run will give you a great fat-burning effect.

But I do not recommend active and heavy power loads in the morning - in order to avoid stress, dizziness, and a "sticky" state throughout the day. Spend more energy on recovery.

The optimal choice for morning fitness - cardio (jogging, cycling, swimming), bodyweight workouts, Pilates, stretch. or yoga.

Why evening workouts may be beneficial as well?

But it's not just the morning that is good for exercise. Active evening activities - martial arts, dancing, cycling, water aerobics, and interval training - can help relieve stress.

At the end of the day, the body is "warmed up" and is better prepared for the load. In addition, it is in the evening that maximum proprioception is observed - the response of neurons to brain commands to muscles.

If you have trouble sleeping or find it difficult to calm down in the evening, it is better to give preference to calm activities like yoga and tai chi. They slow down the heart rate as much as possible, even out the flow of energy, and prepare the body for sleep by relieving stress on the muscles and nervous system. At home, before going to bed, you can independently perform breathing exercises, pelvic rotation, and body tilts.

What is the best time to train for you?

Now that we know the pros and cons of both morning and evening workouts, let's try to figure out what's right for you. The choice depends on what you want to achieve. Below we will analyze what time is the best for different kinds of goals.

If you want to increase your stamina

While strength training is best done in the evening, research data is mixed regarding aerobic endurance exercise. Some scientific papers show increased productivity in the morning, others show better results from evening sessions.

In general, it doesn't really matter when you run, swim, or do other aerobic work. The main thing is to do it at about the same time. Compliance with the regime induces adaptation of the organism and increases its productivity at the usual time for training.

The verdict: both

If you want to burn fat

Morning workouts help you metabolize fat and sugar more efficiently throughout the day and increase fat oxidation. In other words, after them, your body will better cope with incoming calories and store less. At the same time, evening workouts burn more calories than morning sessions with the same intensity, so it's hard to say what will help you lose fat faster.

The verdict: both

If you want to build muscle

For muscle building, the amount of the male sex hormone testosterone and the "stress hormone" cortisol are essential. The first has a positive effect on muscle growth and fat burning, the second promotes the accumulation of fat stores and muscle breakdown.

Testosterone production rises at night and peaks in the morning. Then the level of the hormone gradually decreases, increases slightly at 4-6 p.m., and then falls again, down to the lowest values ​​at 9 p.m.

And it would seem that since its level is highest in the morning, you have to train at dawn. But don't forget about cortisol. Its amount increases after midnight peaks at around 8 a.m., and then gradually decreases.

As a result, the most favorable ratio of testosterone to cortisol is observed at 4-6 p.m.: at this time, the male sex hormone, as mentioned earlier, rises slightly, and the stress hormone is at a low level.

The verdict: evening

If you want to excel at strength training

Despite that muscle size and strength aren’t the same thing, they are directly related. After an evening workout, not only your muscles will grow faster but also your strength training achievements will go up.

The fact is that at this time, the strength, power, and level of muscle activation increase - the body's ability to use more fibers during exercise. As a result, working weights grow faster than after morning exercises.

The verdict: evening

Summing up

The selection of workouts that are right for you is highly individual. Here you need to take into account your personal preferences in sports, physical characteristics of the body, daily routine, and the desired results.

Assess when your body is at its peak of physical activity. Then you can understand whether to practice in the morning or in the evening because the best time of the day to work out is when you are fully prepared and set for results!